This morning, I was beta-testing some AI video software, and — for amusement — asked the AI to produce a ghost-themed video.
I provided the general topic and ideas, and AI did the rest.
I did not use my actual name when I signed up for the beta. (As you know, I’m a bit of a privacy fanatic.)
Well… when I played the video to see if the AI was worth using in the future, I was stunned.
They’d cloned my voice, probably from my YouTube channel. No doubt about it.
I’m doing my best to take this as a compliment: That, when talking about ghosts, using my voice makes the video sound more credible.
Of course, it might just reflect the number of podcasts and videos I’ve shared online, over the past 20+ years. That gave AI an abundance of voice samples to clone.
Whatever the reason my voice was selected: PLEASE be aware that this is going on.
Whether it’s my voice or someone else’s (Jason, Grant, Zak, Jack, Alex, Kris, Steve, Tango, Dustin, etc.), if the “voice” is saying things that seem a bit off, or outright uncharacteristic, report it.
This is especially true if the fake voice is being used for potential commercial gain of any kind, including on a YouTube channel. (Yes, I’ve already talked with an attorney, who put my mind at ease. See this legal precedent: Midler v. Ford Motor Co.)
And tell others, in case they might be confused, too.
In my case, if the recording isn’t on my YouTube channel or my own websites, it’s almost certainly not me.
(Note: In the past, I did some voiceover work for a cousin’s company. Women in our family have remarkably similar voices, but she’d never represent herself as me. And, of course, the irony is: Her company went out of business in 2024, when AI was a more affordable option for most low-budget clients.)